“As from today, you are expected to represent Christ. You are an ambassador of Christ. Never again will the name of God be soiled through you.” — Venerable Tayo Aduloju, talking to Bode George, February 26, 2011, at the Christ Church Cathedral, Lagos.

Future historians writing about Nigeria might be forgiven for observing that the slave trade in the country lasted until 2011 – the year David Mark was the President of the Senate. Mark is ably supported by the Minister of Petroleum Resources and the GMD of NNPC, whose tenure had been elongated – probably to help get the atrocious bill passed as it is. The country’s number three citizen might eventually have an accomplice in the Federal Government – if the Presidency signs the bill before May 29, 2011.

I was in Abuja last week with my nose to the ground as usual and to get in touch with scouts in various ministries when this story came out in the Peoples Daily, a paper most people don’t read but which carries a lot of interesting news. And, the news popped out of several. The Ministry of Petroleum, as my readers must know by now, is hot bed of spies for International Oil Companies, IOCs, and unpatriotic Nigerians ready to sell Nigeria to their paymasters. I quickly got in touch with a few people who confirmed that it is true that the ministry has started to spend money meant for the implementation of a bill that has not even been passed.

“Presido, RE: PIB. What u said about Mark and Bankole is, as usual, monumental. They can make history & name. Let us watch and see what they do.” Chukwukere, Garki.

President Goodluck Jonathan did not give $9,000 to PDP delegates for their votes. That is authoritative. But, some people, from shady sources including, perhaps, donations from some international oil companies and beneficiaries of inflated contracts combined with his campaign organisation to give out real American dollars to delegates. The least given, from my own sources, was $9,000; some received as much as $20,000.